Plant marker



Sept. 8, 1931. M. G. SLAWSON PLANT MARKER Filed Feb. 5, 1931 INVENTOR. Mama/2 6. Slazuaam,

A TTORNEYJ Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES ,MABION G. SLAWSON, '01 GIRARD, KANSAS PLANT MARKER This invention relates to markers, and is particularly mtended for use in marklng plants, rows of plants, or plots or rows ofseeded areas.

It is quite common in the art to provide markers of various kinds. For example, there are, upon the market, at this time, a number of grave markers comprising a supporting stake. adapted to be driven intothe 0 ground,and card holding elements carried by :the stakes, adapted to receive an identification card and a protecting pane of glass.

The device of the present invention issomewhat analogous to the grave markers above referred to, and has for its primary object the production of an exceedingly simple and cheap article of this sort. It is clear that markers of this character, it usedat all, will usually be used in relatively large numbers.

Consequently, if it is to be economically practical, it must comprise parts of great simplicity and very low cost.

As this description proceeds, it will be seen that the marker of the present invention consists of only two parts, viz. :the card holder and the supporting stake, and that these are combined in a very simple way to facilitate the holding of the card holder on the stake, to insure the retention of the identification card and its protecting glass in the card holder, to facilitate the ready removal ofone identification card the substitution of another, and to protect the identification card against rain, snow, fog, and the like.

It will further be seen that the stake and card holder are set at such angles with re spect to each other that a person standing erect may read the matter borne by the card when the stake is thrust into the ground.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view,

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the card holder,

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings constituting a part of the present invention, 5 designates a card holder consisting of a flat back wall 6, inturned end edges 7, and an overturned Application filed. February 3, 1931. Serial No. 513,216.

top edge 8. The inturning of these edges provides channels for the reception of an identification card 9, which may be of pasteboard, or other suitable material, and a protecting pane of glass 10. A pointed stake 11, of channel. formation, has an opening 12, formed therein, the material struck from said opening constituting a tongue 13, which proj-ects forwardly from the front of the stake and underlies the glass pane 10, to prevent said pane from moving downwardly and out of the channels 11, formed by the overturning of the end walls 7. The card holder is secured to the stake by a rivet 14, which traverses the stake and the rear wall 6 of the card holder. The lower edge of the rear wall 6 is notched, as indicated at 15, in Fig. 2, and the tongue 13 enters said notch, thereby holding the card holder against swinging movement about its rivet 14, or, in other words, holding the card holder atright angles to the stake. Both the card holder and the stake may advantageously be formed of stamped sheet metal, at a very low cost, and in the manufacture of the card holder, its rear wall is indented adjacent its lower edge, as indicated at 16,to provide forwardly extending ribs which are highest adjacent the center of the card holder and taper oil to nothingness v at points near the sides of the card holder, said ribs underlying the lower edge of the card 9 and holding the same against clownward movement between the pane and the wall 6. The ribs aid in closing the bottom of the card holder and in conjunction with tongue 13 prevent mud and water from splashing upwardly upon the card.

By virtue of this arrangement, the lower edge of the card is held a sufiicient distance above the lower edge of the glass to prevent rainwater, which runs down the outer face of the card, from creeping up upon the card, by capillary action.

The bending of the upper portion of the stake rearwardly with respect to the remaina der of the stake, to-lie at such angle that the card carried in the card holder may be read by a person standing erect, eliminates the tiresome stooping heretofore required in the use of plant markers of the usual form.

While I have found the rivet and tongue connection to be highly elficient and very economical in manufacture, I wish it to be understood that I may employ more than one rivet, if desired, and have the tongue 13 underlying the lower edge of the glass, without necessarily passing through a notch 15. However, the presence of the tongue 13 upon the stake not only prevents downward movement of the pane but it prevents twisting of the transversely disposedcard holder about the. center represented by the rivet 14. Thus, I

am able to use only one rivet and still nothave the card holder twist out of alignment.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising .a supporting stake, a forwardly projecting tongue struck therefrom, a card holder secured to said stake and extending transversely thereacross, said card holder having its end walls bent to form channels that are open at the bottom, a glass pane adapted to be inserted in said channels and to protect an identification card placed therebehind, the tongue of said stake underlying said'pane'and preventing downward move ment of said pane and the lower edge of the card holder being notched for the reception of said tongue.

2. A device of the character described comprising a stake, a card holder consistin of a flat rear wall, inturned end portions, an an overturned top portion, the whole constituting a channeled structure, open at the bot tom, a pane of glass fitting within said channeled structure, an identification card therebehind, a fastening element traversing the rear wall of the card holder and the stake at a point between the top and bottom of the card holder, a tongue struck from said stake underlying the lower edge of and supporting the glass pane, the lower edge of the fiat wall of the card holder being forwardly indented to provide elongated tapering ribs highest at the center, which hold the lower edge of the identification card a short distance above'the lower edge of the glass pane,

- and the lower edge of said rear Wall of the card holder being notched for the reception of said tongue.

3. A plant marker comprising a metallic stake adapted to be thrust into the ground, the upper portion of which is bent rearwardly with respect to the lower portion, a transversely disposed card carrier secured to said upper portion of the stake and comprising a metallic frame having its end and top edges parent pane adapted to fit within said channeled portion of the card holder and to protect an identification card, and means for holding said pane in place, said means comprising a tongue carried by the stake and underlying said pane.

4:. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting stake, a forwardly proj ecting tongue struck therefrom, a card holder secured to said stake and extending transversely thereacross, said card holder having its end walls bent to form channels that are open at the bottom, a glass pane adapted to be inserted in said channels and to protect an identification card placed therebehind, the tongue of said stake underlying said pane and preventing downward movement of said pane, the lower edge of the card holder being bent to provide a forwardly extending rib adapted to support-the lower edge of an.

identification card a short distance above the lower edge of the pane and the; lower edge of tion of the tongue of the stake.

the card holder bein notched forthe recep- 5. A plant markercomprising a metallic. stake adapted to be thrust into the ground, a

transversely disposed card carrier secured .by a single rivet to the upper portion of the stake, and a forwardly pro ecting tongue carried by-the stake and underlying and engagtion card and a transparent pane disposed in said channel portions, said tongue also underlying the lower edge of said pane.

6. A plant marker comprising a metallic stake adapted to be thrust into theground, the upper portion of which is bent rearwardly with respect to the lower portion, a transversely disposed card carrier secured to the upper portion of the stake and comprising a metallic framehaving its end and top edges turned over to channel formation, a transparent pane adapted to fit within said portions of the card holder, an element traversing the metallic frame and the stake substantially centrally of said frame, andan integral tongue struck from the stake and engaging: the lower edge of the said frame and the lower edge-of said pane.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- MARION e. SLAWSON;

turned over to channel formation, a trans- .95 ing the lower edge of the card holder in such 

